Woodcrest a great layout, but near its end?

The question is a simple one: Is it close to the end for Woodcrest Country Club?

The private club, which opened in 1929 and is located at the intersection of Haddonfield-Berlin and Evesham roads, is the subject of a bitter split that has resulted in it having to file for bankruptcy earlier this year.

I had the chance to play there recently and the rumors swirling around the place all pointed to the same ending – closure.

There were six specific stories heard during one round of golf. Doesn’t mean they are true, but none of them were positive.

That’s not the point of this blog.

This is: Losing Woodcrest from the golf landscape would leave quite a hole.

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to play Woodcrest, you know it is easily a top 5 layout – private or public – in South Jersey. Off the top of my head, we’re talking Pine Valley, Trump National Philadelphia (the old Pine Hill), Atlantic City Country Club, Woodcrest and Running Deer.

Woodcrest has always offered impeccable conditions and lightning fast greens. Wednesday, there were fast greens and very good conditions. The biggest change was the lack of sand in most of traps. Many are just dirt, and that’s tough to hit out of.

But don’t get me wrong. Eighty-five percent of Woodcrest is better than 100 percent of most courses in South Jersey. But we’re talking about a place where nary a blade of grass used to be out of place.

The layout is still incredible. If you ever want to know where the hills in Cherry Hill are, try to get on Woodcrest. Walking here would be great exercise. By my count, 13 of the 18 holes have some kind of carry. Mature trees pinch several fairways. On a few holes, you have to be on the correct side of the fairway to have a clean shot at the green. Speaking of the greens, they have a fair amount of undulation, and you never want to be above the hole.

Woodcrest is only 6,528 yards from the tips and 6,224 from the whites. The par 71 offers four par 5s and five par 3s. And the par 3s may be the best set in South Jersey. They range from 146 to 205 yards from the whites and none of them are easy, thanks to water and/or spirit-crushing bunkers.

The par 5s aren’t particularly long, the longest is the 18th at 538 yards, but they all have some kind of difficulty attached.

And the par 4s run the gamut from short to long, dogleg right to dogleg left.

Woodcrest has it all. But a falling out, the roots of which date to the disastrous decision to rebuild the clubhouse in 2002, threatens to remove one of the region’s best courses from the map.

That is unacceptable.

About Todd Shaner

Todd Shaner has been editing, writing and designing for the Courier-Post since 1992. I've been playing golf for 30 years and have teed it up all over South Jersey and the tri-state region. In the mid-1990s, I got in on the ground floor of the craft beer revolution and have enjoyed discovering new breweries, beers and styles of beers. That's where the fun lies - in the discovery of new beers.

One Response to Woodcrest a great layout, but near its end?

OH MY GOD!!! Did the thought of Woodcrest, the hoi-polloy clientele ever think about going public play????? THAT may help. Im sure the Doctors, lawyers and other snobby members will sure as hell die before THAT would ever happen.

About this Blog

A blog about golfing in South Jersey, the tri-state area and a look at the national scene. And don't forget, some tips on the better beers to help you forget and/or toast your round.

About the Authors

Todd Shaner
Todd Shaner has been editing, writing and designing for the Courier-Post since 1992. I've been playing golf for 30 years and have teed it up all over South Jersey and the tri-state region. In the mid-1990s, I got in on the ground floor of the craft beer revolution and have enjoyed discovering new breweries, beers and styles of beers. That's where the fun lies - in the discovery of new beers. E-mail Todd

Kevin Minnick
While I may not be able to consistently drive the ball straight or sink those 15-footers for birdie time and time again, golf remains near and dear to my heart. I've had the opportunity to walk 18 with Tiger Woods at Baltusrol, share a laugh with Jim Furyk and see young players develop into today's PGA stars. I've even had a chance to tee it up at Pine Valley - twice. Some people don't understand the game, and that's fine. But once you dive into it and see all that it offers, it's easy to get hooked. E-mail Kevin